Aerosol dispenser with heating device



Nov. 16, 1955 J. E. AYRES 3,217,938

AEROSOL DISPENSER WITH HEATING DEVICE Filed April 20, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 1.

35:51:35 1A F A 1y i' '45 I INVENTOR. JOHN E AYRES AGENT Nov. 16', 1965INVENTOR. JOHN E. AY RES AGENT United States Patent 3,217 938 AEROSDLDISPENSER W ITH HEATING DEVICE John E. Ayres, Mountainside, N.J.,assignor to Carter- Wallace, Inc., a corporation of Maryland Filed Apr.20, 1964, Ser. No. 361,104 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-146) The present inventionrelates in general to devices for preparing and dispensing aerosollathers in heated condition. More particularly, this invention relatesto simple, practical and economical devices for preparing and dispensingheated aerosol lathers.

In recent years, pressurized aerosol products, such as shaving creamlathers, shampoo lathers, and the like, have been gaining widespreadrecognition. More recently, a number of devices which permit thedispensing of such products in a heated condition have been described.

The advantages which can be derived by the use of such latter devicesare especially obvious when such devices are used in conjunction withaerosol shaving lathers; therefore, the present invention will bedescribed with particular reference to containers for preparing anddispensing aerosol shaving lathers, but it should be evident from thefollowing description that the devices of the present invention aresuitable for use in conjunction with a number of aerosol products, suchas lather shampoos, and the like.

Aerosol shaving lathers are usually produced from liquid compositionscomprising a mixture of an aqueous soap or detergent solution and aliquefied normally gaseous propellant. Such compositions, when releasedfrom a valve-controlled aerosol type container yield a stable latherwhich can be applied directly to the skin of the user prior to shaving.Due to the expansion and evaporation of the liquefied propellant uponextrusion, the temperature of such lather is usually below roomtemperature and the body temperature of the user. The application ofsuch cool lather to the body of the user is not entirely pleasant.Furthermore, the softening effect of such lather on the beard or hair ofthe user is reduced by the lower temperature thereof.

The desirability of providing a heated aerosol shaving lather has beenrecently recognized and a number of devices have been proposed in theart to perform such function. Such prior devices, however, have beengenerally inefiicient and cumbersome and have failed to provide asimple, practical and economical way to solve the proposed problem.

Some of the proposed devices utilize electrical means for heating a longtube through which the lather product passes after release from theaerosol container. Such use of electrical means introduces the hazardsof fires and the inconvenience of electric cords.

Other similar devices which have been proposed utilize a heating jacketaround a lather discharge tube, said heating jacket being connected to ahot water tap and being supplied with a continuous flow of hot watertherefrom. Due to the low heat transfer coefficients inherent to suchlathers, such devices are ineffective in raising the product totemperature substantially close to the hot Water tap temperature unlessa lather discharge tube of substantial length is used. The use of such.long tubes results in a breakdown of the lather due to the considerableflow resistance offered by such tubes and to the long residence time.Furthermore, a substantial volume of lather is left within the tubeafter the user discontinues operation of the device. This residuallather, in a compressed state due to the high fiow resistance of theheating device, will expand and ooze out of the tube outlet causingcopious and prolonged afterfiow.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device forpreparing and dispensing heated aerosol foams. It is a further object ofthe invention to provide a simple device for preparing and dispensingheated aerosol shaving lathers, said device eliminating one or more ofthe disadvantages of the prior art. These and other objects will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the instantspecification.

In its broadest aspect, the present invention relates to a device forheating a foam product as the product emerges from the outlet of apressurized aerosol-type container, comprising:

(a) a chamber having an inlet member interconnected with the outlet ofsaid container;

(b) a body holding a supply of hot water;

(c) a plurality of spaced means for conducting the product from saidchamber to said body; and

(d) outlet means for discharging the admixture consisting of foamproduct and hot water from said body.

In operation, when the foam product is extruded from the aerosolcontainer, said product enters the chamber and then flows through thespaced means into the hot water supply, where it becomes heated byintimate mechanical admixture with the hot water. The mixture thenemerges from the device through the outlet means thereof in a heatedstate.

The objects of the invention will be best understood from the followingdescription of a preferred device of the invention, selected for thepurpose of illustration and not of limitation, and shown in theaccompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred device, partly inlongitudinal section.

FIG. 1A is a sectional view taken along the line 1A1A of FIG. 1.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawing, FIG. 1 shows apreferred form of a heating device of the invention removably mounted ona standard aerosol container of a type commercially used by somemanufacturers of aerosol products. It is comprised of can 10 having asuitably attached bottom, not shown in the drawing, and lid 11. Lid 11has a central opening for discharge of product, said opening beingprovided with manually-operated valve means.

The valve means includes a diaphragm 12, preferably made of rubber orother resilient material, which is mounted between the lid 11 and theconventional dip tube 13. The diaphragm 12 includes a plurality ofopenings 14 which are normally closed by the centrally located dependingtubular portion 15 of the lid 11. For normal usage, such aerosolcontainers are provided with a valve actuator assembly, not shown in thedrawing, which consists of a valve button, a dispensing spout and atubular valve actuator in actuating relationship with said bottom.customarily, the user manually depresses the valve bottom, bringing thetubular valve actuator in actuating contact with the diaphragm 12. Whenthe diaphragm is thus depressed, the openings 14 are no longerobstructed by the tubular portion 15 and the pressurized product isdischarged from the can 10 through the dispensing spout of said valveactuator assembly. In the practice of the present embodiment of theinvention, the valve actuator assembly, which is customarily mountedwith a friction fit coaxially with the opening in lid 11, is removedprior to mounting the heating device of the invention on the aerosolcontainer.

The valve construction described above is conventional and it will beunderstood, of course, that other and different forms of valvemechanisms may be employed with the present invention.

The illustrated heating device includes a body 16 capacitated to hold asupply of hot water and having the general configuration of acylindrical cup with an open top.

The bottom of cup 16 is fashioned with a configuration generallycomplementary to the top of the aerosol package and includes a peripheryannular flange 17 to loosely engage the upper rim 19 of the package,thus stabilizing the heating device upon mounting on the aerosolpackage. Extending downwardly from cup 16 is centrally located tubularvalve actuator 20 having an internal passageway 21 extendingtherethrough.

When the heating device is mounted on the package the tubular actuator20 is slidably engaged in the tubular opening defined by the dependingtubular portion of the lid 11. The lower end of the actuator, providedwith a diametrically disposed slot 22, is in abutting relationship withdiaphragm 12.

Circular disk 24 is horizontally mounted within bod 16 in closeproximity to the bottom thereof and spaced therefrom by annular ridge 26which extends from the interior side wall of body 16.

Chamber 23, which is defined by the bottom of the in terior section ofbody 16 and by circular disk 24, is interconnected to passageway 21 oftubular valve actuator 20. In the illustrated device, the spaced meansfor conducting the foam product from chamber 23 to the upper interior.section of body 16 consists of four substantially parallel passageways25 extending vertically through circular disk 24.

Removably fitted to the top of body 16 is closure and dispensingassembly 27 comprising a horizontally-disposed foam discharge spout 28having passageway 29 extending therethrough connecting the interior ofbody 16 with the atmosphere.

In operating the illustrated device, the user fills the body 16 with asupply of hot water from a hot water faucet, either before or afterattaching the heating device to the aerosol package. The device may befilled either through passageway 29 of spout 28 or by removing closureand dispensing assembly 27 and introducing the hot water directly intobody 16. It is to be noted that, when the heating device is initiallyattached to the aerosol package, it merely rests on top on said packageand that the openings 14 of diaphragm 12, shown open in the drawings,are in a normal closed position. The user then presses on the top ofclosure and dispensing assembly 27, thus depressing the entire heatingunit, including valve actuator 20, downwardly as shown in FIG. 1. Thepropellant within the aerosol package propels the product through diptube 13, through openings 14 of diaphragm 12, through passageway 21 invalve actuator and thence into chamber 23.

As it enters the chamber, the foam is dispersed into four separatestreams which flow in parallel through passageways into body 16 wherethey become intimately admixed with the hot water contained therein. Theheated mixture then emerges from spout 28 through passageway 29.

Once the user obtains the desired amount of heated product, he stopsexerting downward pressure on the heating device. Diaphragm 12, due toits resiliency, returns to its normal closed position by displacingvalve actuator 20, and thus the entire heating unit, upwardly.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the devices of thepresent invention eliminate many of the disadvantages offered by priorart devices. For example, the present devices achieve heating of thefoam product by mechanical admixture with hot water whereas the priorart teaches heating by bringing the product in heat exchangerelationship with a heated surface. Since neither a material ofconstruction having good heat transfer properties nor a large heattransfer surface is necessary in the practice of the invention, thepresent devices can be constructed wholly from common plastic materialhaving the properties of stiffness, lightness and low cost, such as polystyrene, polyethylene, and the like, and can be very compact in size. Aplastic device, 2 inches high and 1 inch in diameter, constructedsubstantially as illustrated in the drawings was found to givesatisfactory results.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the detailsof the foregoing description and that changes and additions may be madeby those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spiritof the invention. For example, devices embodying the novel features ofthe invention can be permanently mounted on the aerosol package by themanufacturer.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for heating a foam product as the product emerges from theoutlet of a pressurized aerosol-type container, comprising:

(a) a chamber having an inlet member interconnected with the outlet ofsaid container;

(b) a body holding a supply of hot water;

(0) a plurality of spaced means for conducting the product from saidchamber to said body into admixture with said supply of hot water; and

(d) outlet means for discharging the admixture consisting of foamproduct and hot water from said body.

2. A device for heating a foam product as the product emerges from theoutlet of a pressurized aerosol-type container, comprising:

(a) a chamber having an inlet member interconnected with the outlet ofsaid container;

(b) a body holding a supply of hot water;

(c) a plurality of spaced substantially parallel passagewaysinterconnecting said chamber with said body for conducting the productfrom said chamber into said body and into intimate admixture with saidsupply of hot water; and

((1) outlet means for discharging the admixture consisting of foamproduct and hot water from said body.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,873,351 2/1959Lannert 2192l4 LOUIS I. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT E. REEVES, Examiner.

1. A DEVICE FOR HEATING A FOAM PRODUCT AS THE PRODUCT EMERGES FROM THEOUTLET OF A PRESSURIZED AEROSOL-TYPE CONTAINER, COMPRISING: (A) ACHAMBER HAVING AN INLET MEMBER INTERCONNECTED WITH THE OUTLET OF SAIDCONTAINER; (B) A BODY HOLDING A SUPPLY OF HOT WATER; (C) A PLURALITY OFSPACED MEANS FOR CONDUCTING THE PRODUCT FROM SAID CHAMBER TO SAID BODYINTO ADMIXTURE WITH SAID SUPPLY OF HOT WATER; AND (D) OUTLET MEANS FORDISCHARGING THE ADMIXTURE CONSISTING OF FOAM PRODUCT AND HOT WATER FROMSAID BODY.